U E : E USTUDENTS: SEAN SAVAGE

CRAIG MITCHELLTUTOR: IAN FISHER

MA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

MANCHESTER SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURECHATHAM BUILDING

LOWER CAVENDISH STREETM15 6BR

CONTACT: i.fisher@mmu.ac.uk07801258917

UE:EUIn a Mediterranean climate there is a delicate relationship between the physical resource of water and the pattern of human activity. Historically, territorialisation of the land relied on the availability of this resource and the regularity of its recharge. This supported a largely devolved urban morphology, reliant on an intricate and stable network of physical and cultural relationships. However, the rapid collapse of this system in the last 50 years has combined to expose its vulnerability. A combination of dynamic social, political and environmental factors reflected its minimal capacity for adaptability and change. This has lead to physical and human desertification and the collapse of the urban network, which structured the landscape in the interior of many Mediterranean countries. This project seeks to address how water resources in a period of climatic unpredictability can be reprogrammed as a catalyst for an emergent urbanism. It has been developed in conjunction with MA students in Landscape Architecture, Cristina Rodrigues Architects, the local authority and Centro Cultural Raiano. The damaged and derelict urban systems in and around Idanha-a-Nova municipality in central Portugal, have been used as a laboratory for idea making and testing.

The theoretical discourse of landscape urbanism has been utilised as a means of providing a potential vehicle for staging opportunities for emergent “hydrologic” urban prototypes. The requirement for an approach, which is embedded in to the interrupted and currently unpredictable anthropocentric/biocentric relationship is essential if an ecologically dynamic re-urbanisation of the land is to be successful. This approach needs to adopt a multi disciplinary agenda, which is adaptable and resilient and operates with maximum flexibility in a multi time scale environment. The intention is create new spatial and temporal patterns of inhabitation in which human activity is in a positive ecological relationship with water.

Project oneThis seeks to establish an emergent urbanism on what is at present considered an inhospitable terrain of topographical extremes. However, these extremes have the potential to maximise the value of water as a “collectable” resource. They also have the advantage of connecting with the River Tagus, which could act as future transport infrastructure. Various water retention systems are proposed, which retain water within a number of parallel valleys. Dependent on gradient, these systems develop intensive agriculture or water storage. The emergent urbanism is directly linked to the “productivity” of these systems and evolves as a suspended three dimensional grid, in which various sub structures for living, processing etc can be inserted. The grid itself is an organic system, sucking up water, recycling waste and acting as a frame for vegetative and algae production.

Project twoAs the relationship between agriculture and resources collapsed, it was replaced by a monoculture of forestry plantations. This project utilises the degradation of the land, following plantation felling as the stage to introduce systems, which will recharge the soil/water complex as a first stage in establishing a new devolved urban system, which is resilient and adaptable. The key component is the establishment of a series of “land bowls”, which through the use of water retaining polymers and artificial seeding mats aim to re-establish the complex Iberian woodland system, which in the past provided food and materials. Overlaid and interwoven in to this structure is a secondary system of highly productive plants, which will supplement the Iberian woodland complex. This is a multi-scale approach, with initially the “cabin in the forest” as the first stage of an emergent urbanism, which will evolve in time to develop production, processing and selling nodes as part of a re-emergent urbanism.

Despite being situated between three major European cities, Lisbon, Madrid and Porto; Idanha a Nova has minimal connectivity with them and feels geographically isolated in the interior of the Iberian penisular. This project utilises the Municipality as a ‘laboratory’ for testing ideas on emergent urbanism, which could act as a model for future projects, throughout the Mediterranean.

Poorly developed and fractured anthropocentric infrastructure has had a profound effect on land use, settlement and transport networks.

MEDIUM POPULATION DENSITYBASIC AMENITIES PREDOMINANCE OF TERTIARY ROADS

HIGH POPULATION DENSITYSUFFICIENT AMENITIES PREDOMINANCE OF MUNICIPAL ROADS

LOW POPULATION DENSITYLOW/NO AMENITIES PREDOMINANCE OF TRACKS

In a Mediterranean climate there is a delicate relationship between the physical resource of water, soil, microclimate, indigenous vegetation and the pattern of human activity. Historically, territorialisation of the land created a symbiosis between resource exploitation and renewal, which could support a level of productivity commensurate with sustained economic activity. A combination of social, political and technological factors in the last 50 years have combined to change this relationship between humans and the land, leading to a collapse in the urban framework, human desertification and the exploitation of non renewable resources.

The collapse of an ‘Urban Framework’Location and Context:

The decline in available moisture:

Sampling Infrastructures:

1997

0

20

40

60

80

100

120 1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

1998

1998

1998

199819

99

1999

1999

199920

00

2000

2000

200020

01

2001

2001

200120

02

2002

2002

200220

03

2003

2003

200320

04

2004

2004

200420

05

2005

2005

200520

06

2006

2006

200620

07

2007

2007

200720

08

2008

2008

200820

09

2009

2009

200920

10

2010

2010

201020

11

2011

2011

20112012

2012

2012

Am

ount

of r

ain

in d

ays

Lack

of d

ata

Lack

of d

ata

Lack

of d

ata

Lack

of d

ata

Lack

of d

ata

Lack

of d

ata

Year of rainfall Year of rainfallYear of rainfall

1997

1997

1997

Rai

n in

mm

585m

m

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Am

ount

of f

og in

day

s

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Ann

ual a

vera

ge w

ind

spee

d km

ph

Year of wind speed

Amount of rain (days)[Castelo Brano, Portugal]

Amount of fog (days)[Castelo Brano, Portugal]

Annual average wind speed (days)[Castelo Brano, Portugal]

Amount of rain (mm)[Castelo Brano, Portugal]

Castelo Branco Portugal

Idanha a Nova Castelo Branco

Idanha a Nova Small scale subsistance farming

Large scale wheat production

European Union Common Agriculture

Policy (CAP) Introduction of single

specie plantations

Scale of “industrial” agriculture impacts on

previous delicate balance between humans and the

landscape

2023.6/Km2

235210.4/Km2

35512.9/Km2

56013.6/Km2

13457.4/Km2

129020.4/Km2

5372/Km2

793.8/Km2

60811/Km2

1702.1/Km2

2376.4/Km2

102898/Km2

1762.4/Km2

7485.8/Km2

2728.9/Km2

2243.9/Km2

36927.1/Km2

Idanha-a-Nova

Oledo

Proença-a-

Velha

Aldeia de Santa Margarida

São Miguel de Acha

Ladoeiro

Rosmaninhal

Segura

Zebreira

Alcafozes

MonsantoPenha Garcia

Monfortinho

Toulões

Salvaterra

do Extremo

Medelim

Idanha-a-Velha

Idanha-a-Nova

Oledo

Proença-a-

Velha

Aldeia de Santa Margarida

São Miguel de Acha

Ladoeiro

Rosmaninhal

Segura

Zebreira

Alcafozes

MonsantoPenha Garcia

Monfortinho

Toulões

Salvaterra

do Extremo

Medelim

Idanha-a-Velha

Valley Type 1.1 - Moderate Gradient

WATER CONSERVATION AND HARVESTING:

“The key operation in creating a stage for an emergent urbanism is to capture and harvest precipitation which is normally concentrated in two months of the year, but which has recently become more unpredictable in its timing and volume”

THREE STAGE URBANISM:Stage 1:A flexible framework of 3D grids is proposed, which manifest themselves lightly on the ground and above the valley bottom on a set of fixed points. This reduces to a minimum the land take of level terrain so as to maximise vegetation production, as the most cost effective solution in finding a staging for integrating anthropocentric and biocentric systems. Stage 2:The grid acts as a mediator, providing shelter and shade, passive cooling, energy, transportation conduits for water and waste, recycling of materials, support for vegetation growth, frames for public/private space, spaces of transaction and permanence. Stage 3:The aim is for the framework to act as a prosthetic for an emergent urbanism. The 3D aggregation of space and form, containing multiple activities, but in intimate dialogue with physical resources will gradually adapt and grow in order to colonise the heterogeneous topography.

Water catchment systems Green Infrastructure Urban Infrastructure

WE

IRS

:

CO

NTO

UR

SW

ALE

S:

RA

INS

AU

CE

RS

:

SIL

T TR

AP

S:

Vegetation structures create humidity and shelter and reduce evaporation

Multiple cycles of agricultural production, to achieve self sufficiency

Upcycle vegetation - Reed Beds, Algae Tubes and Ponds, Capilary Transfer, Bio-Fuel and Compostable Materials

Vegetation encorporated as a spatial tool in emergent urban structures - Living Walls, Vertical and Hanging Gardens

RE

SO

UR

CE

[FU

LL]:

FOO

D P

RO

DU

CTI

ON

:

UP

CY

CLE

:

SPA

TIA

L:

FULL

Y E

STA

BLI

SH

ED

FLE

XIB

LE F

RA

ME

WO

RK

STR

UC

TUR

ES

:

Valley Type 1.0 - Steep Gradient Valley Type 1.2 - Shallow Gradient 1.3 - Multiple Gradient Intervention

PRO

JEC

T_1

-Mycorrhizza fungi -Water absorbing polymer,

-Seed mat of Iberian woodland as incubator

vegetation system

After harvesting, the land has the greatest potential for change.

Esta

blis

h ve

geta

tion

and

enric

h so

ilsEs

tabl

ishi

ng s

usta

inab

le in

dust

ry

First stage of emergent urbanism

Utilised on previous forestry plantations

As the multi layer forest matures, transient seasonal harvesting will require permanent structures to process, manufacture and trade, leading to an emergent devolved urbanism in tune with the rhythms of

the forest productivity cycle

Increased fire risk[Portugal, 2002-12 average

141,356 ha forest destroyed]Forestry

[Portugal]

As the relationship between agriculture and resources collapsed, it was replaced by a monoculture of forestry plantations. These type of plantations have increased significantly over the past 40 years. In the same time period water availability and employment has decreased. This proposal addresses physical social and cultural issues by introducing a new urban morphology, which replaces the plantation system to create a sustainable infrastructure whilst biologically in dynamic equilibrium.

This project utilises the degradation of the land, following plantation felling to introduce sustainable systems and a loose grid of highly productive plants, which will recharge the soil/water complex as a first stage in establishing a new devolved urban system, which is resilient and adaptable. Through the use of water retaining polymers, soil enhancing fungi and Iberian woodland seeds embedded within a hemp matting system, a sustainable ecology will be created improving humidity levels and availability of water.

*plantation forestry

Monocultural Forestry Planations

Land Bowls

Environmental Impact

‘Cabin in the forest’

Secondary grid of productive plants

Natural colonisation in interstitial spaces

Vegetated ‘land bowl’

Plantation forestry

‘Node’ of activity

Developing Infrastructure

Connections between grids

Site specific structure

Duel system of Iberian woodland complex

and multi-productive plantation sub grid

Incubator system

Less labour intensive employment[Portugal, 11,000 employed in forestry]

Lack of biological understory [increased evaporation]

Unsustainable plantation economics are replaced by

the economics of sustainability through the ‘land bowl’ system

Isolated ‘land bowl’ situated within a plantation forest with a site specific structure.

Ref

Separate grids of ‘land bowls’ interconnect creating ‘nodes’ of access/activity/trade etc.

Ref

Grids and localised industries expand improving levels of infrastructure and further development.

Ref

Grids expand further creating numerous ‘nodes’ of activity developing the infrastructure, beginning the process of re-emergant urbanism.

Ref

Individual grids evolve into a complex system that can self sustain ecologically and economically.

Ref

3.47M hectares

5.37M hectares

38%Total Forest Cover

Increased scale of industrial plantations[Portugal]

1990 2000 2005

550,

000

ha

1,03

4,00

0 ha

1,23

4,00

0 ha

Lack

of d

ata

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Am

ount

of r

ain

in d

ays

Year of rainfall

Rain statistics [Castelo Branco, Portugal]

PRO

JEC

T_2